Aphaenogaster
From Boer (2013) [1]
The ant genus Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853[2] consists of 178 species, and has a widespread distribution that encompasses the Neotropical, Nearctic, Palaearctic, Malagascar, Oriental, Indo-Australian and Australian biogeographic regions (Bolton et al. 2006, Bolton 2012). In Europe (Palearctic region) the genus Aphaenogaster is represented by 36 species, which were previously placed in three subgenera: Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853[2], Attomyrma Emery, 1915a[3] and Ischnomyrmex Mayr, 1862[4] (Emery 1908[5], 1915a[3]). These subgenera are now considered junior synonyms (Bolton, 1982). Subsequently, Schulz (1994[6]) divided the Palearctic species belonging to the former subgenus Attomyrma into five species groups. In Europe Aphaenogaster is a ‘forgotten’ ant genus. The taxonomic literature consists almost entirely of the original descriptions, with one recent paper dealing with the taxonomy of European Aphaenogaster species (Agosti & Collingwood, 1987[7]). They included Aphaenogaster in their key to the European ant species, but excluded the Iberian species. Older papers dealing with European Aphaenogaster species include the work of Emery (1908[5]) and Santschi (1933[8]).
References
- , “Revision of the European ants of the Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ”, Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, vol. 153, pp. 57-93., 2013.
- , “Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Ameisen.”, in Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Vereins in Wien , vol. 3, 1853, pp. 101-114.
- , “Contributo alla conoscenza delle formiche delle isole italiane. Descrizione di forme mediterrannee nuove o critiche. ”, Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 244-270, 1915.
- , “Myrmecologische Studien.”, in Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, vol. 12, 1862, pp. 649-776.
- , “Beiträge zur Monographie der Formiciden des paläarktischen Faunengebietes.”, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, vol. 1908, pp. 165-205, 1908.
- , “Aphaenogaster graeca nova species (Hym: Formicidae) aus dem Olymp-Gebirge (Griechenland) und eine Gliederung der Gattung Aphaenogaster.”, Beiträge zur Entomologie , vol. 44, pp. 417-429, 1994.
- , “A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) with a key to the worker caste. II. Key to the worker caste, including the European species without the Iberian.”, Mitteilungen Der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, vol. 60, pp. 261-293, 1987.
- , “Étude sur le sous-genre Aphaenogaster Mayr.”, Revue Suisse de Zoologie , vol. 40, pp. 389-408., 1933.